


Serenity & The Wanderer

by WrestleCrazyGamer



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-06-26
Packaged: 2020-05-13 14:49:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19253359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WrestleCrazyGamer/pseuds/WrestleCrazyGamer
Summary: Hornet just wanted what was best for her daughter: a stable kingdom, a better upbringing than she had, and family who loves her. Poor communication between parent and child results in her daughter being kidnapped by the kingdom of Phantomgloom. A friend she made in the forest comes to the rescue, as Hornet finds herself unable to. This is the journey of Serenity & The Wanderer.





	1. She Was Saved By Him

Princess Serenity hatched to Queen Hornet on a rainy day. She had horns just like her mother’s. Her hatching inspired the restoration force of Hollownest to work twice as hard. Hornet gave her the name “Serenity” as a promise that by the time she would take the throne the kingdom would be restored to its former glory. 

The princess spent her infancy under close watch of her mother, never far from her gaze. Even when she could walk Hornet didn’t let her stray much. Hornet was concerned she would harm herself by wandering into dangerous parts of the world outside.

“It’s dangerous beyond Dirtmouth.” Hornet would warn her.

“Why?” the princess would ask, and receive no answer every time.

Serenity dressed herself in a frilly pink shroud, sewn by her mother herself. When it would become a bit short, Queen Hornet would extend it herself. She would also repair it when it’d be inevitably damaged in weapon training. Serenity was trained well by Quirrel to use a nail with great technique, despite her physical strength being a bit lacking as a child. Even so, Quirrel would always compliment her progress toward mastering the weapon.

One day everyone was very busy after a portion of the Greenpath collapsed, and Serenity was left alone in the above-ground temporary castle. Serenity gazed at the not too distant forest from her bedroom window, as usual. Of course that was when it clicked. Absolutely no one was home but herself. Being the child she is, she seized the chance to run toward the nearby forest and explore.

“It’s so bi-----------ig!” she exclaimed looking at the treetops so far above.

A new excitement rushed over her as she began to explore. New sounds, new creatures, new smells - all of it made her crave more. Strange mosquito-like bugs were hostile, but she luckily had her nail with her to fight them off. The deeper she went the more she wished the day would never end.

“Ha, and mother said this place was dangerous! This is the best day  _ ever! _ ” she cheered when the branch she was standing on gave way causing the princess to slide down a wooden path.

She eventually flew off the end of the slide face planting into the side of a large armored creature immediately flopping on her back afterward. She sat up slowly, rubbing her nose, as whatever she’d hit began to stir with a low growl. Serenity thought it was somewhat manageable, until it got up on four legs and turned to show four massive tusks. It let out a powerful roar sending her flying to the trunk of a tree. Her short few years of life flashed before her eyes as the creature stamped its front hooves before charging her. She blacked out, expecting death to come for her… but it never did.

“I’m… alive…?”

The princess opened her eyes slowly and witnessed a marvel. A man similar to her own kind bearing four horns was before her dressed in dark blue pants and a dark blue shroud. He was holding back the beast’s charge using a weapon she was unfamiliar with. The handle was quite long, but the flat part of it was longer with both edges sharpened. She watched as he easily pushed it back and then proceed to knock it over with a loud yelp.

“What… weapon is… that…?” Serenity managed to ask the stranger.

“Never seen a sword before?” he answered as the beast tried to pull a fast one, only to receive a swift strike to the eye making it screech as it backed up flailing in pain.

“Sword…” Serenity repeated gazing at the mighty weapon he easily wielded with a single arm.

“These require more skill than a nail or needle to use. If you’re not careful you’ll hurt yourself with it as well.” he told her as he dealt a devastating strike going right through the creature’s armor making it squeal in pain, blood spewing onto the ground.

“We don’t have swords in Hollownest.” she told him as he finished cutting down the beast with another two mighty blows.

“Now, what’s a little girl doing wandering around the Forest of The Great Ones?” the man asked, cleaning his blade off with a cloth from his back pocket.

“Forest of the Great Ones?” she tilted her head.

“Long ago, beings thousands of times bigger than us wandered these lands… or so it’s theorized by archeologists, anyway.” the man spoke as he helped her stand, dusting her off soon after.

“Are you looking for proof they existed?” she asked.

“Among other things. I enjoy my way of life: free to go anywhere and do as I please, without allegiance to anyone in particular.” he answered.

“Oh right! Ahem. I am Princess Serenity of Hollownest. You are?” Serenity asked, trying to sound refined.

“You can call me Wanderer. It’s been so long since I’ve used my name that it’s actually slipped my mind, so that’s what everyone calls me in its stead. You tend to forget these things when you live in solitude.” he smiled.

“I see. I humbly request that you escort me home, as you seem to know your way around the wildlife of this forest.” Serenity asked him.

“Hollownest, eh? Heard the place is finally recovering from whatever tore it apart, so it looks like it’s true.” Wanderer pondered.

“Indeed.” Serenity nodded.

“You certainly don’t seem like you want to go back though. You sure that you want me to escort you there?” Wanderer asked.

“Yes. I merely came to observe the landscape. I’ve finished and now I must return posthaste.” Serenity answered, conveniently leaving out that she’s disobeying her mother.

“Very well. If you change your mind I’ll still be in the forest a while longer.” Wanderer nodded.

With the Wanderer to guide her, Serenity began heading back toward Hollownest. She was amazed as he used his sword for more than just fighting. He used it to give himself something to grab or stand on to ascend high ledges. Her nail was incapable of such a feat, so he had her jump and grab his hand to ascend them. When it came to combat she could handle herself with the small foes, but had to rely on Wanderer to take out the heavier ones often dispatching them with just one or two hits.

“What kingdom do you hail from?” Serenity asked him.

“I come from a kingdom far, far, far to the northwest of here. I was a royal knight there until the new queen took over the country. She turned it into a nightmare of its former glory with stricter laws and inhumane taxes. She began lynching people for the smallest crimes and began attacking our allies unprovoked. She claimed that her father’s rule was too weak, that the kingdom needed to stand up for itself. So I left.” he answered in detail.

“So you’re actually a chivalrous knight like my retainers.” Serenity giggled.

“I am knight no longer. I lost the right to call myself one when I abandoned my vow to protect crown and country.” Wanderer spoke making her look at her feet with a melancholy expression.

“You could instead serve Hollownest, where your services would be appreciated. We intend to build the kingdom up from the ashes and find glory in a new age.” Serenity offered.

“I appreciate the offer, but I must decline.” he chuckled.

The duo eventually reached the forest edge with Dirtmouth in the distance. Serenity turned to say her goodbyes, but Wanderer was already gone without a trace. With a heavy heart knowing his past, she returned to the castle. No one was around still, so hopefully she could bathe and wash her shroud before anyone even knew she was gone. Any hope of that was dashed upon entering her bedroom. Waiting at the window was her mother.

“Enjoy your little trip?” Hornet asked with a stern voice, full of anger.

“Mother… um… you see… I just thought… that just a little while… wouldn’t hurt…” Serenity wound up confessing, knowing she’d be in for far worse if she lied.

“Serenity, I forbade you from  _ ever _ entering that forest. There are unspeakable creatures that could gobble you up as a snack beyond this place. You are this kingdom’s princess. That means losing you puts the future of Hollownest in danger.” Hornet scolded her.

“I came back okay…”

“Okay?  _ Okay? _ You are absolutely  _ filthy _ , and have scratches and cuts all over you. Your shroud is a mess and needs mending. You are the opposite of  _ okay _ , young lady.” Hornet lectured further, making Serenity look herself over and then notice the muddy footprints she’d been leaving.

“I… did run into something scary…” she admitted.

“Oh, did you?” Hornet narrowed her eyes impatiently.

“I was rescued though! By a man who used a weapon called a ‘sword’! It was amazing! He was super strong!” Serenity blurted.

“A sword? Serenity, you are not to leave your room. Meals will be brought to you until I can confirm the situation around Hollownest.” Hornet spoke before rushing out, almost seeming to forget her anger entirely.

“Mother…?” Serenity spoke unsure of what just happened.

She tried to open the doors of her room, but they held fast. Something was now in front of them, preventing her from leaving. No matter how she tried the doors refused to move.

“Apologies, Your Highness. Orders from Her Majesty to make sure you do not leave this room.” a voice called from the other side of the door.

“You must have really made her mad this time. She didn’t even tell us when it was okay to move.” a second voice added to the conversation.

“Mother, I’m sorry! Please let me out!” Serenity cried banging her arms on the door.

Serenity pleaded until her throat was hoarse from crying. Eventually she sank to her knees sobbing with her head against the door. In her sorrow she remembered what Wanderer had said about his lifestyle. He said that he was free to go where he pleased and do as he liked. That lifestyle sounded nice compared to being locked up.

Several days passed as Serenity had to live with only her room to reside in. Hornet repaired her shroud without so much as a word in that time. She couldn’t even receive nail lessons from Quirrel. The guards blocking her doors weren’t allowed to converse with her either. It felt like complete and total isolation; a prisoner just for disobeying her one time.

“ _ If I could leave… and have The Wanderer take me somewhere… I wouldn’t care where… just anywhere but here. _ ”

One stormy day Serenity had come to a boil with indignation. She examined the castle walls from her window, and made a decision. Pulling her whetstone from her dresser drawer she began sharpening the tip of her nail far beyond what is safe. She decided if Wanderer’s sword could penetrate walls, why couldn’t her nail do the same? She opened her windows letting rain fall on her, and with a deep breath leapt from the opening beginning to fall. Falling down she thrust her nail at the wall bouncing at first, but she was bound and determined and thrust a second time piercing through causing her to slowly decelerate. She then began strategically dropping herself and stabbing the wall until she was safely on the ground. Serenity had a straight shot out of town toward the forest, and she was going to take it full speed.

“Serenity!” she heard her mother yell from the castle, but she ignored her and continued to run as fast as her legs could carry her.

“ _ Anywhere… but here… I won’t be a prisoner... _ ”

She heard the clatter of armor behind her - the knights were in pursuit. That only made her speed up as best she could. When she was nearly at the treeline her mother tackled her out of nowhere. Serenity struggled and screamed with all her might as her mother tried to restrain her.

“Serenity, we’re not safe out here!” Hornet cried when a loud mechanical grinding made both freeze.

Arrows then flew out of the trees at the knights putting them in a defensive stance as some fell. Trees began to fall over in the distance as something approached them, making the ground shake now and then. Very quickly a colossal quadrupedal black machine with a beastly head began breaking through the trees. Hornet lifted Serenity and began running as fast as she could. Serenity could only watch in horror as the red light of the machine’s eyes shined on them, gaining incredible ground with each step. It was over them when something slashed Hornet making her scream dropping Serenity as she fell holding her arm. Serenity got up and gasped seeing a sword very similar to The Wanderer’s, but the blade was much longer. 

“A sword…” Serenity gasped.

A man similar in stature to The Wanderer then landed, completely unaffected by the height he fell from. He had six curved horns on his head and wore crimson armor. Drawing the sword he chuckled as Hornet got to her feet readying her needle.

“Sorry, but we’ll be taking the girl.” he spoke with a cruel grin.

“You can try!” Hornet roared engaging him in battle.

Serenity was paralyzed watching her mother fight a losing battle against the man. He even used her wounded arm against her. Before long Hornet could barely stand as the man laughed maniacally. He then put his boot on her head starting to press down on her.

“Behave, girl… or this will happen to you.” he cackled, looking right into Serenity’s eyes.

The man then gasped before leaping from Hornet, but not before losing half of his left arm screaming in pain. Standing there was The Wanderer. 

“Get her onboard!” the man ordered as stag soldiers grabbed Serenity and flew up to the machine taking him as well.

“Serenity…” Hornet cried weakly reaching up for her daughter.

“Mother!” Serenity screamed as the hatch far above closed, and the machine began walking backward to the trees.

“Damn it!” Hornet screamed, slamming her fist in the mud.

“I’ll get her back.” Wanderer stated as he began walking away.

“Do you even know where they are going?!” she sobbed, cradling her now crippled arm.

“Phantomgloom. My home country. I can get her back.” he answered without stopping.

“Who are you?!” she demanded.

“The Wanderer. I typically roam around, but once in a while I’ll swing my sword for a cause worth fighting for.” he answered.

“Tell her… tell her I didn’t lock her up as punishment… I did it because I knew the danger of those who wield swords…” Hornet asked, trying to compose herself.


	2. Phantomgloom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serenity wakes up in her cell at Phantomgloom Castle.

Serenity woke up in a very poorly maintained cell once again. How many days had it been since those strange men and women in crimson armor threw her in here? Her once vibrant pink shroud was now in tatters from the abuse of daily torture. She didn’t even know where she was. The only thing preventing total silence were the screams of other prisoners. Just like the previous morning, a knight in grey armor with a red mark indicating a rank came to the door. On their back was a sword like the one that the crimson-armored soldier wields.

“Best behavior,  _ highness _ . You’ve got a visitor.” the knight spoke as he dragged Serenity from the cell by her horns.

She was brought through several hallways and into a small chamber. The knight then forced her onto her knees as a door across the way opened. The woman who entered had four arms, gorgeous monarch butterfly wings on her back, and black fuzz around her neck matching her long hair. She was dressed in a black long-sleeved dress with a long V in the chest. She had four large crown-like horns upon her head and wore an actual queen’s crown.

“Ah, the young princess of Hollownest. I’m pleased to make your acquaintance. My knights have been most hospitable during your stay, haven’t they?” she smiled.

“If by hospitable you mean they torture me…” Serenity replied.

“Quite a sharp tongue, even in the presence of this kingdom’s queen.” she giggled.

“My mother will come for me.” Serenity growled, prompting the woman to laugh heartily.

“You truly think she is in any shape to travel? My general made sure to teach Hollownest’s queen her place… beneath my heel.” the queen grinned making Serenity lunge, only to be yanked back and punched by the knight.

“Calm down.” the knight ordered.

“There is no need for violence… yet.” she giggled.

“I want… to go home…” Serenity sniffled.

“Why, you  _ could _ be home, my dear. I went out of my way to abduct you for one reason… to make you my child.” the queen told her.

“What…?”

“Hollownest is a filthy place, home to those who do not realize they are sinners who know not of the Great Ones. You, on the other hand, show curiosity about their origins. I wish to embrace you, and show you the exquisite power of the Great Ones.” she explained.

“You expect me to agree to be your daughter after abusing me like this?!”

“Tsk, tsk. You are already my child. You just do not know it yet. The pain can all go away… if you’ll just call me mother and forget about Hollownest.” the queen smiled hugging Serenity to her chest.

“I… will never call you mother.” Serenity scowled before tearing a large chunk out of the queen’s left wing making her scream dropping her as the knight punched Serenity hard enough to knock her against the wall fracturing her right horn.

“How dare you, vermin?!”

“Hold your fury!” the queen roared in a monstrous voice making the knight freeze.

Serenity watched in horror as the queen tore off her injured wing and proceed to eat it. Once she finished she cried out in agony as a brand new wing grew in its place. She then grabbed Serenity by the neck striking fear into her.

“I love you like my own blood… so you will be punished as such…” she snarled before biting Serenity’s fractured horn.

Serenity screamed in agony as the queen easily ate her way through causing the top half of the horn to fall to the floor once she was finished. When the queen let go of her she flopped to the floor trembling in shock. The pain was so much that she couldn’t even think coherently. 

“Take her back to her room so she can think about what she did. I’ll let her off with just this much for now.” the queen ordered before recomposing herself.

“As you command.”

Serenity was tossed back into her cell and remained silent for hours, being able to only think about the pain of her horn literally being eaten as tears streamed down her face. It was the dark of night by the time she was even able to register what was going on around her anymore. Still shaky from her situation, she pulled herself to the wall of her cell for support.

“What did you do to Her Majesty to warrant such a severe punishment?” a gentle woman’s voice asked from the other side of the wall. 

“I ripped some of her wing out…” Serenity answered.

“My, my. The wings are quite a brave place to go for. She cherishes her wings, so it is a wonder that she did not do anything more.” the gentle voice giggled.

“I want to go home…” Serenity sniffled.

“We can get out now if you wish, but the odds of survival once outside of these cells are very low.” the voice told her.

“We can?”

“The guards do not care if we prisoners attempt to escape through the Old Sewer. Our cells are not locked because they know how unlikely it is that anyone will survive. We cannot go through the castle either.” 

“I’ll risk it.” Serenity spoke managing to find the strength to stand.

“Allow me to show you the way.” the voice replied.

Just as they had said, the door slid right open. Stepping out she saw that she was talking to a slim butterfly woman with short red hair, only two horns, and bandages over the left side of her face dressed in a cloth dress. She had thick metal shackles on all four of her wrists, despite the chains being broken. She led her to a trap door and both descended to a massive sewer tunnel with strange architecture. 

“It’s huge… like a labyrinth…” Serenity gasped.

“These sewers were originally built to prevent invasion from below.” she told her, pulling a lit torch down from the wall.

“Something tells me that isn’t the only reason the Old Sewers are dangerous…” Serenity sighed.

“Indeed. Her Majesty keeps ‘pets’ down here.” the woman nodded.

“I don’t suppose there’s anything we can use to defend ourselves?” Serenity asked.

“Perhaps you could find and loot a corpse.” she answered.

“When you say that… are you not coming with me?” Serenity tilted her head.

“I would only slow you down. I’ve already resigned myself to my fate in the dungeon.” she shook her head.

“I don’t want to leave you behind after showing me the way out.” Serenity told her.

“Really, I will be okay.” she assured her.

“Just stay here. I’ll find a weapon and escort you out.” Serenity insisted.

“Why are you so adamant about helping someone you just met?” she questioned the princess.

“My nail instructor, Quirrel, said that I should endeavor to help anyone who needs it. You’re suffering in here too, so I’m going to do everything I can for you.” Serenity answered confidently.

“You remind me of someone I knew as a little girl. Alright, I’ll remain here.” she smiled, handing Serenity the torch.

The young princess made her way into the labyrinth and began her search for a useable weapon. She found many skeleton remains, but nothing that could really be used. Any time she found fresh signs of life she went the opposite direction. After what felt like an hour of searching she finally came across the skeleton of a knight with a rusty sword run through them. She tried to pull it out and half of the blade broken off from how old it was. Heavy as what she got was, it’d have to do. It took her a bit, but she eventually found her way back to the butterfly woman.

“You found one.” she stated with a look of bewilderment.

“I don’t know how well it will hold up in real combat, but hopefully it will serve as a good enough deterrent.” Serenity nodded.

“Your kindness is greatly appreciated.” she smiled, taking the torch back.

Serenity then began to lead the way into the labyrinth. Their first idea was to try following the water. That went well until they came to an intersection. Serenity seemed at a loss, but the butterfly woman closed her eyes making two antennae grow behind her horns.

“What are those?” Serenity asked.

“My antennae. Using them I can see much further than with my eyes, but it strains me to do so.” she answered.

“Oh.”

“If we go left or straight we will just circle back around. So we need to go right if we’re to progress.” she spoke before wobbling as her antennae retracted.

“That’s a super handy ability.” Serenity complimented her.

“Thank you.” she giggled.

The two made their way down the paths following her occasional use of antennae sight at intersections. They had minimal interactions with odd sewer serpents, requiring Serenity to use her rusty sword. It wasn’t very sharp but the weight allowed it to still deal decent damage. Everything seemed to be smooth sailing as they entered a large arena. There was light on the other side of the area - the way out!

“Let’s go!” Serenity beamed as she took her friend by the hand.

Once they were half across the floor gates slammed down blocking the way forward and backward. A large spider-like creature then dropped from above making them leap back. It let out a ferocious roar as the butterfly woman backed up further.

“It’s Her Majesty’s favorite pet, Velluka…” she whimpered.

“She’ll get over it. We’re not dying after coming this far.” Serenity growled readying her sword.

Serenity engaged Velluka using her size to her advantage. Velluka stomped around and tried to bite her, but she used her speed to her advantage as well. Any blows she landed didn’t seem to do much due to lacking sharpness though. The fight only intensified as Velluka became agitated with Serenity’s agility. Serenity had to roll out from under her when Velluka leapt up to slam her entire body on the ground causing the ceiling to shake. The ceiling then began cracking even more before Wanderer crashed through skewering a similar beast to Velluka with his sword coming down on top of Velluka running her head through. Velluka unleashed a deafening screech as she flailed eventually knocking Wanderer off before falling to the side going limp.

“Wanderer!” Serenity gasped.

“You look worse for wear. Sorry it took me so long to get here. Velluka’s young wanted to make a snack out of me.” he smiled.

“You… I recognize you…” the butterfly woman gasped.

“Here isn’t the place to talk.” Wandered told her, lifting the gate with a single arm without trouble.

Wanderer led the two out into a simply massive jungle ruin that had a great city built atop of it. They were at the very bottom of it, just outside of the gates. The landscape of Phantomgloom certainly lived up to its name, as everything had a sort of looming gloominess to it. It was almost as if the land yearned for a time long past. With Wanderer’s guidance they soon reached a small village called Noosha. There was a noticeable lack of butterfly citizens, which was alarming to Serenity.

“Are there no others like you?” Serenity asked her friend.

“Only royalty bear wings like her.” Wanderer answered for her.

“Royalty? She’s royalty?” Serenity gasped.

“You are looking at Princess Leafwing, the blood-related daughter of Queen Monarch. She was imprisoned because she does not share her mother’s ideals. It’s why she seeks as many children as possible, to indoctrinate them with her ideals and morals… or so I’ve heard.” Wanderer introduced her.

“So she’s a princess like me…” Serenity marvelled at her friend.

“It is good to see you again, Captain of the Royal Guard.” Leafwing smiled warmly.

“You have me mistaken for another. That man died with the previous king. I am The Wanderer.” Wanderer dismissed her claim.

“You came to rescue me.” Serenity smiled.

“Your mother asked that I tell you she meant you no harm when she locked you away. It was because she knew about Phantomgloom’s military might, and feared you would be taken from her.” Wanderer told her.

“Oh… so then I caused her fears to be realized…” Serenity spoke, looking to her feet with a sad expression.

“So when you return, reconcile.” Leafwing told her.

“If she’s the princess, will she be safe here?” Serenity asked Wanderer.

“No. Persons of interest aren’t free for long, so I’ve heard. If she desires safety she would do well to flee the country.” Wanderer answered.

“Couldn’t she come with us then?” Serenity asked.

“I would only slow you down.” Leafwing told her, coughing a little afterward.

“Are you sick?” Serenity gasped.

“Nothing I won’t recover from in time. Being locked in a dungeon for a long time does a number on your health.” she smiled.

“The princess was born frail, so it isn’t uncommon for illness to make her bedridden… or so I’ve heard.” Wanderer told her.

“I will be fine, Little Princess.” Leafwing smiled, before having a rough coughing fit spitting up a bit of blood.

Leafwing looked to recover from it, but then she fell forward making Wanderer catch her. He felt her forehead and she was really burning up. Whatever she had wasn’t something that’d recover with time.

“Are you okay?!” Serenity cried.

“Yes… I will be… fine…” she spoke, trying to catch her breath.

“Come, Serenity.” Wanderer ordered as he bridal lifted Leafwing, starting to carry her to a particular home in particular.

The home they entered turned out to be a forge on one side and a medical clinic on the other. A large Hercules beetle man was pounding heated metal as a skinny pillbug woman manned the counter. Upon seeing them she let out a loud gasp getting her partner’s attention.

“Well, well, well… look who’s come back after a sixteen year absence. The  _ real _ Captain of the Guard.” the man huffed as he placed his work in a cooling trough.

“That man is dead. I am The Wanderer.” he told him as the woman examined Leafwing.

“Quickly, quickly, bring her to the bed.” she commanded.

“Really, I am fine…” Leafwing insisted as Wanderer did what was instructed.

Once he set her on the bed the woman began setting to work to check her health. Serenity was awestruck by the sheer volume of swords on the walls and racks. They were in different shapes and sizes, showing great variety in the swords available. The beetle man narrowed his eyes at the rusty broken sword she was carrying.

“Girl, let me see that weapon you carry.” he spoke making her jump, turning to face him.

“Yes, sir.” she nodded, placing the weapon on his anvil.

He lifted it and began to thoroughly examine it. He then grabbed a small stone and began to grind away the rust over the guard. Revealed to be under it was a relief in the shape of a butterfly.

“I knew it. This is my finest work, ruined and forgotten by the queen’s rebellion.” he sighed with a deeply saddened look.

“I found it in the Old Sewers.” Serenity told him.

“I was told the weapon was lost for all time. I would ordinarily put it to rest, as a broken weapon, but… I somehow feel like it longs to serve you. The late king did used to say that it speaks to him… so to get this feeling, holding it in my grasp, must be a sign.” the smithy explained as he looked at it in the light of his forge.

“Reforge it for her.” Wanderer ordered.

“You want me to do what?” he gasped.

“Use my old sword to reforge it for her. They’re made of the same material, if memory serves. She’ll need a reliable weapon to defend herself with, especially with what we’ll be doing going forward.” Wanderer elaborated on his demand.

“Please, I’ll survive if I rest enough…” Leafwing begged, tugging his shroud.

“No you will not! If left untreated, your illness will eventually cause total organ failure! We cannot afford to lose our princess!” the woman exclaimed.

“Apologies, Serenity, but I must delay your return home. An old promise decided to rear its ugly head in the worst way possible.” Wanderer told the little princess.

“I’ll help however I can!” she cheered.

“By the way, ‘Wanderer’, who is this child?” the smithy asked him.

“She is the future ruler of Hollownest, Princess Serenity. The queen abducted her and I promised her mother that I’d see her home, but currently Princess Leafwing’s illness takes precedence.” Wanderer answered.

“Honestly… my title means nothing if my subjects just do as they please…” Leafwing sighed despite her joyous smile.

“I owe it to your grandfather to make sure that you live.” Wanderer told her.

“Very well. If you’re going to help my wife treat the princess, I’ll reforge Valentine for Little Princess here.” the smithy chuckled.

“By the Great Ones, your clothes! Come here Little Princess, let me fix your shroud!” the smithy’s wife gasped.

“Oh… mother would go on a rampage if she saw my shroud in this condition.” Serenity giggled looking herself over.

Serenity happily swung her legs while sitting on the edge of a bed as the doctor repaired her shroud. Her attention was drawn to the forge when the smithy pulled a beautiful silver sword from the back room. The design was completely different from any of the others she’d seen before and had a butterfly relief on the guard similar to the broken Valentine. The smithy then set to using it to reforge Valentine, though Serenity was saddened to see such a beautiful weapon melted down for that purpose. That was when it clicked that the beautiful weapon was once Wanderer’s.

“Was that the sword you used when you were Captain of the Guard?” Serenity asked him.

“Yes. Valentine was sibling to that sword. The king had no use for two swords, so he bestowed its twin upon me. Its name was Enitnelav, the reverse of its sister’s name. It was proof of the trust His Majesty had in my capabilities. I had no right to continue using it after becoming the man I am now. The memories held in both weapons will be shared, so perhaps you will understand their history once you hold the finished product.” Wanderer answered her with a somber expression.


	3. To Cure A Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serenity & The Wanderer go looking for the first ingredient to help Princess Leafwing get better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I just wanna thank my readers for the wonderful comments you've left. It's really strong motivation for me to continue writing chapters for this story as frequently as I have been.

It was early on the third morning of Serenity’s stay in Noosha. Wanderer was still dutifully standing guard at the door as Serenity gently woke up in the bed next to Leafwing’s bed. Leafwing was already conscious and undergoing treatment for the injuries to her eyes. A chill shot down her spine as she caught a glimpse of the nasty wounds marring that side of Leafwing’s face. Leafwing was crying, but nevertheless allowing the doctor to clean and treat them. Serenity could hear the smithy working on her new weapon as well. It was only just starting to get light outside and already the home was busy.

“Didn’t wake you up did I, Little Princess?” the smithy asked, not slowing his hammer strokes at all.

“No… had a dream too good to be true…” she shook her head.

“Now don’t try to open those eyes, Highness. I’ll be checking on them now and again to see how they’re doing.” the doctor ordered Leafwing, who now had fresh bandages over her injuries.

“I’ll pretend that I’m a pirate then.” Leafwing giggled.

“Were your wounds more severe, or worse infected, that may have become a reality. I’m glad that I was able to get to them before then.” the doctor huffed.

“Princess Leafwing, was Wanderer really the Captain of the Guard?” Serenity whispered.

“We are both princesses, Serenity, so you needn’t address me in any special way.” Leafwing smiled.

“Oh. Right.” Serenity giggled.

“To answer your question, he was. I was only just starting to walk when he was appointed to that position. It amazed me that such a young boy became the captain, the youngest in Phantomgloom history. One of his duties was ensuring my safety, and he took it very seriously. I couldn’t even be visited by friends without him inspecting them and their servants for hidden weapons. He was and still is my hero.” Leafwing reminisced with Serenity.

“Did he get cool armor like the other knights?” Serenity asked with starry eyes.

“It even had his shroud, though in much better shape than it is today. I do not know what he did with his armor. He can deny it all he likes, but I would never forget the knight that made me feel the safest.” she nodded.

“Ooh, you love him.” Serenity giggled.

“My, it would be like the fairy tales I read as a child. I do find a sense of safety in his company, but love may be stretching a tad.” Leafwing giggled, blushing a bit.

“It’s ready.” the smithy spoke as he cooled the blade one more time.

Once he pulled it out, the blade was now a sparkling white color. He laid the blade into the old guard and hilt of Enitnelav and Serenity watched in wonder as the guard transmogrified becoming silver and crescent in shape. Serenity quickly grabbed her shroud and took the weapon from the smithy with nervous hands.

“I took your growing body into consideration and enchanted it to be a Resizing Blade. That means this weapon will grow with you, so it will always have the perfect weight and reach.” the smithy told her.

“A sword of my own…” Serenity spoke with wonder as she tested the weapon on a dummy.

“Get used to the weight and it will serve you well. We leave now.” Wanderer ordered.

“Does it have a new name?” Serenity asked the smithy.

“I call the final product,  _ Mercy’s Force _ .” he answered with a father’s grin, staring intently at his work.

“Be sure to remember that both sides are sharp - you might accidentally cut yourself otherwise.” Wanderer warned.

“Where are we going, by the way?” Serenity asked.

“To look for Wildfire Flowers, to begin curing Her Highness of her disease. It’s one of many ingredients we will need.” he answered, beginning to walk.

“On it. Wildfire Flowers. I’m so gonna find a ton of ‘em. Way more than you will. ” Serenity smiled, hurrying to catch up to him.

“Oh-ho? Is that a challenge?” Wanderer chuckled.

“Yeah, just one question… what’s a Wildfire Flower look like?” Serenity asked.

“Well if you’re so confident you’ll find more than me I see no reason to tell you.” he smirked.

“What?! That’s not fair, tell me! Tell me, Wanderer!” she pleaded as Wanderer laughed heartily.

“Princess Serenity is certainly cheerful despite her circumstances. She seems to have gotten over losing one of her horns as well.” the doctor sighed.

“It’s not that she’s over it. She’s only able to be so strong because she can rely on The Captain to help and guide her. Serenity reminds me a lot of back then, when grandfather was still on the throne. She will learn how cruel the world can be on her journey.” Leafwing smiled warmly.

“Don’t go accepting death while The Captain and Little Princess are out trying to get the ingredients to cure you.” the smithy scolded her.

“My, to be scolded by my subjects on top of commanded. Truly that dungeon was more unkind to my body than I first believed.” Leafwing giggled.

Wanderer soon led Serenity to a place called The Dark Forest. Just as its name implied, the canopy obscured almost all light. The flora was also noticeably a much darker shade of green. The entire place reminded her of Hollownest, making her chest tighten a little.

“We’ll find Wildfire Flowers in the very sparse places where the sun manages to get through the canopy.” Wanderer informed her.

“Why is everything so dark?” Serenity asked him.

“You can thank the Wildfire Flowers that grow here for that. They’re very dangerous to harvest, not only requiring a steady hand but a quick one as well. Do it wrong… well, I’ll let their name clue you in to what happens.” he answered.

“They start wildfires?!” she gasped.

“To prevent that, always pick the plant by the bud. Sever it into multiple pieces if you have to. The goal is to make sure you kill it.” he instructed, remaining oddly calm about what the plant is capable of.

“G-Got it…” she nodded, very nervous about their mission now.

The wildlife that came at them allowed Serenity to test out her new sword. She didn’t have formal sword training, but her blade still hacked the small fry to bits with ease. Trying to mimic Wanderer’s carefully timed swings seemed to help her land lethal strikes more often, though he got onto her to use both hands as a beginner. He began to give little hints about the proper stance to use with a sword and how to strike with one as they ventured further in. Serenity did wonder if it was a teacher thing, leaving out certain tricks and techniques until after she’s had a difficult time. He deliberately waited for her to get flung through the air to teach her about the  _ Downward Strike _ . Quirrel did the same with many of the Nail’s techniques and secrets.

“Your Nail Instructor was teaching you correctly then. There can be no lessons without first making mistakes.” Wanderer smiled as Serenity rubbed her forehead, scuffed from a recent hit.

Wanderer also taught her the utility of medicinal herbs that grow all across Phantomgloom and how to self-treat oneself with without overdosing. One example was that a single leaf of Argril, an odd pear-shaped bluish green plant, acts as a very strong painkiller and should only be taken once every five hours. Another example is that the  leaves of the Migelgel plant can be used to staunch a wound, but a chemical effect occurs after an hour of use emitting a nerve agent so one needs to be careful of that. After two hours of wandering and looking...

“A clearing!” Serenity gasped rushing in to begin looking.

“Serenity, be mindful of the roots.” Wanderer called to her as he approached, drawing his weapon.

“Roots? Well which one is it? I’ll cut it at the bud like you said to.” Serenity replied, looking around curiously.

“The big ones.” he told her, taking a combat stance.

“Big ones? The only big roots here are those... of a… tree…” Serenity trailed off, starting to get a dawn of realization as her eyes followed the roots.

Just outside of the clearing, what she thought was a tree was actually a massive crimson-petal flower with a glaring red eye in the center. The pupil began to light up and Wanderer yanked her to the left in time to evade a laser that set fire to the line it fired at them in. Serenity understood everything now. It roared at them and Wanderer charged slashing roots apart as they lashed at him.

“It’s a huge flower!” Serenity cried, fighting off some roots herself.

“That can start wildfires, so we need to take it out quickly! Take out the roots forward and don’t look back!” Wanderer replied, starting to get closer and closer to the thorn-covered stem.

The flower continued to fire its laser at Wanderer as Serenity tried to catch up, having great difficulty due to panicking about the fact they are fighting a giant laser-firing flower. He got to the thicker roots starting to have a tougher time allowing Serenity to catch up flailing her sword wildly until face-planting into his back.

“Take out the eye or the bud, either one. We only need the leaves for the medicine.” Wanderer ordered, grabbing her by the shroud.

“Pardon?” was all Serenity could say before Wanderer hucked her like a sack of vegetables over the roots.

Serenity panicked as she began arching perfectly toward the eye, which noticed her and began charging for a laser blast. Wanderer used that moment it was distracted to cut through the roots and strike the stem ruining it concentration, letting out a horrible hiss as the laser was cancelled.

“Finish it, kid!” he roared.

“Sorry if I mess up!” Serenity cried, closing her eyes as she took a swing of faith.

She nervously opened her eyes to find herself in Wanderer’s arms, both of them covered in purple liquid. She peeked over his shoulder and saw that she’d gotten the eye with her swing, which was still spitting up some of the purple fluid. With a heavy sigh of relief she hopped down from his arms and poked the eye with her sword to be sure it was defeated.

“Not too bad, kid. Now to harvest the petals.” Wanderer chuckled, starting to cut them off one by one for a total of sixteen.

“You knew it was a plant monster the whole time didn’t you?!” Serenity cried, outraged by the realization that he waited until arriving to tell her.

“I’m  _ from _ Phantomgloom, remember? Of course I knew.” he snickered with a smug grin.

“I smell funny…” she groaned, looking herself over.

“Get comfy with that smell. We’re harvesting another four before returning.” Wanderer told her as he cut the leaves down to manageable sizes before tucking them in his pouch.

“What?! We can’t wash first?!” she cried, mortified at the thought.

“What would be the sense of cleaning off only to get dirty again in a short while? We’ll wash after finishing the job.” he smirked, starting to venture into the forest again.

“I feel so gross though…” she groaned, reluctantly hurrying to catch up to him.

It was late afternoon when the duo returned to Noosha, both with pouches full of Wildfire Flower leaves and almost entirely purple from the plant’s blood. Serenity looked completely wiped out and ready for a bath, while Wanderer looked completely fine and unbothered by the filth covering them. Once back at the house they emptied their pouches to the doctor.

“Well, this is far more than was necessary. Only two or three would have done the trick, but thank you anyway.” she smiled.

“What?! We only needed that many?! Wanderer!” Serenity cried, staring in disbelief at her ally who had the smuggest grin she’d seen since Quirrel got her with a pun that took her four hours to realize was a pun.

“I wanted you to get used to dealing with creatures bigger than life. The Wildfire Flower is only the first of many.” he snickered.

“We’re going to get covered in more icky, smelly, gooey gunk?!” she exclaimed in horror.

“That’s right. Enjoy your bath, kid. You’ll be taking a lot of them in the near future.” he teased her with a maniacal laugh.

“Stop teasing the poor thing and take a bath. I’ll wash and mend your clothes in the meantime.” the doctor ordered, gently slapping his face with a towel. Due to the size of the tub, Wanderer and Serenity were able to bathe at the same time, cleaning the gunk off their bodies with the natural waterfall before getting in the tub. Serenity couldn’t help noticing the large number of scars on him, now that he didn’t have his shroud and pants hiding a majority of his body.

“Are all of those from your time as a soldier?” she asked.

“Some of them. Others are from learning the harsh lessons of the land. With each one came a new lesson.” he answered, stroking the largest scar on his chest that ran from the top of his collar to the bottom of the opposite pectoral. 

“What gave you that one?” she asked, staring intently.

“This one…? Not a what. A who. I was once stupid enough to help smuggle a noble out of the country. The queen herself came to intercept us. Not only did she show her unforgiving cruelty by eating the noble’s head before my eyes, but had the cruelty to make me think I had a chance of besting her in one-on-one combat. I thought I had her before she struck back with enough force to break straight through my sword and leave this scar to remember the encounter by. If I hadn’t fallen down the waterfall she might have eaten my head too. Washed up here in Noosha, where the doc treated me while her husband fixed my sword.” he reminisced for her.

“The queen… she’s super strong…?” Serenity asked.

“Indeed. The royalty of Phantomgloom is famed for having absurd physical strength and endurance. It’s why rebellion is fated to end in failure unless another royal is spearheading it, like with Queen Monarch’s rebellion. She doesn’t even need soldiers, she can take them herself.” he nodded.

After their clothes were ready for them it was dinnertime. Just as usual, the doctor’s cooking was superb. The broth to their food had a zest that was absent from the previous nights though. It really brought out the flavor of the meat, that was for sure.

“It tastes better than yesterday, dear.” the smithy stated, almost reading Serenity’s mind.

“Thanks to the overabundance of Wildfire Flower leaves I was able to make some Wildfire Spice to add to it. It’s been a long time since any has come through with the traveling merchants so it’s quite a treat to have so much to spare.” the doctor giggled, glowing with delight.

“She used the leaves…?” Serenity spoke, frozen mid-bite.

“When you live by what you have you can find many uses for parts of plants and creatures, even unconventional ways.” Wanderer chuckled.

“Wildfire Spice was commonly used in many of the dishes I had growing up. I wasn’t fond of it at your age either, but over time I grew accustomed to it. Now I always feel a little sad when it isn’t present, due to the fuss I used to put up back when I always had it.” Leafwing smiled.

“It reminds me of the smell and how gooey I was earlier…” Serenity groaned, continuing to eat her meal to completion.

“There’s plenty more if you want seconds, Little Princess. A growing girl needs to eat till she’s full as I always say!” the smithy laughed heartily, not even waiting for a reply before loading Serenity’s plate with more.

“Dear, manners…” the doctor scolded him.

“You want her to have as much energy as possible for the road forward, don’t you? Great Ones forbid something happens she may not have a good meal a while, so she needs to appreciate what she’s got now. I’m doing her a favor in the long run.” the smithy snickered.

“I admit, it is wonderful to be around such lively people again.” Leafwing giggled, resting her head on Wanderer’s shoulder.

“Feeling tired?” Wanderer asked her.

“Mm, but I’m not quite ready to turn in. Lend me your shoulder a while?” Leafwing smiled.

“If you’re tired you need to sleep, especially since you’re ill and recovering from bad injuries. It will only be a day or two more before we can make the medicine you need.” Wanderer scolded her, promptly helping her to bed after.

“He can change his look and his name all he likes, but when it comes to the princess he’ll always be The Captain of the Guard. Just once I saw him escort her to Noosha to meet with a foreign diplomat. At her side like a pet, ready to pull his sword at a moment’s notice in her defense. If she was tired he made her rest, and got her food if she was hungry. He even went as far as carrying her when her feet hurt.” the smithy whispered to Serenity.

“That’s so sweet of him, just like a fairy tale.” she swooned.

“Despite the fact that life is nothing like them. Nothing ever truly goes as they like to spin the tales.” Wanderer huffed, retaking his seat at the table.

“Don’t be so cold, Wanderer. You know that young girls love to dream of romance. I was like that too at their age.” the doctor sighed with an understanding smile.

“So how’d you end up with me?” the smithy joked before breaking into laughter.

“My hero just hasn’t rescued me yet, foul dragon.” she giggled, flinging some food at him.

“Are they always like this?” Serenity whispered to Wanderer.

“Of course. It’s proof they have a healthy relationship. Most couples you see in Phantomgloom either married for benefit or to ease tensions between families, but these two married because they genuinely click. That connection allows them to have a greater understanding of how the other feelings when they say or do something. It’s a very deep level of love, one that I pray more people in Phantomgloom can find someday.” Wanderer explained to her.

“I bet you and Leafwing could click like that…” Serenity giggled, poking his cheek.

“I'm bushed from the hunt today, so you get guard duty tonight. Don’t fall asleep at your post now.” Wanderer stated, abruptly getting up from the table.

“What?! I’m sorry, I take it back!” Serenity cried, hugging his waist.


	4. Serenity's Solo Adventure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serenity is asked to find Spine Berries. After that the group is on the run.

Serenity was tiredly walking behind Wanderer as they once more went into the Dark Forest. He was dead serious about her being on watch duty. The latest Serenity had ever stayed up prior to this journey was nine o’clock. It was definitely catching up to her here.

“Wanderer… can’t I nap just a little…?” she asked.

“Knights sometimes go with as little as a single hour of sleep, in the worst of circumstances. With our current situation, preparing you to go without much sleep is beneficial.” he answered without stopping.

“Does that really mean I have to go without sleep…?” Serenity groaned.

“There may be a time when you can’t afford to sleep. You’ll thank me later should a time like that arrive.” he replied.

“What are we even looking for today…?” she sighed, hoping she doesn’t pass out from lack of sleep.

“ _ I _ am looking for Boulsroot.  _ You _ are looking for Spine Berries.” he answered.

“Wait a second, you mean we’re splitting up?!” she gasped as they came upon a ruin.

“Indeed. My search will take me to Frostbog Swamp north of here. You can find your quarry in this ruin, as they favor dank environments. They don’t grow in swamps due to the water level, so our missions take us to different places.” he explained to her.

“I don’t know what a Spine Berry looks like though…” she groaned, when he produced a piece of paper bearing a drawing of a heart-shaped berry with spine-like protrusions on one side.

“You will need at least thirty of them.” he instructed, leaving the paper in her care.

“Wait, you can’t go with me and then go to the swamp?” she asked, nervous to be alone.

“I’m much too big to fit in that opening, and we risk the place collapsing if I widen it. I have faith in you to get the job done. After all, I won’t always be around to guide you. Today I’m teaching you the most essential lesson of survival: independence, the ability to think and act for yourself without instruction.” Wanderer answered.

“But… but…” Serenity whimpered.

“No buts. Remember how you came to be in Phantomgloom, Serenity. You  _ will _ need this skill among many others if you wish to return home safely.” Wanderer scolded, leaving immediately after.

Serenity was frozen in place until Wanderer was out of sight. With a heavy heart she crawled through the opening into the ruin. Once inside she found that the passages were larger than she thought they’d be. With a deep breath she tried to resolve herself. Wanderer, and Princess Leafwing for that matter, were depending on her to get the Spine Berries. She could do this much on her own, couldn’t she? Of course she could. It wasn’t like he was asking the impossible. Just a simple task of picking berries and returning to Noosha.

“I’ll show Wanderer how independent I am. I won’t stop at thirty, and instead go for sixty.” she giggled to herself, though it was partially sleep deprivation talking.

Making her way inside the ruin, the wildlife wasn’t too difficult to handle. There was a lack of armored foes too, so she really didn’t need Wanderer’s help here combat-wise. Spine Berry Bushes seemed to be plentiful too. Before she knew it she already had twenty berries. This really was a cakewalk of a task. She continued gathering them until she was near her goal of sixty, only needing four more. In a large clearing of the ruin she spotted the last bush she needed to complete her task. 

“Jackpot. I bet Wanderer will be so impressed with me.” she giggled, approaching the plant.

Just as she was about to grab the last four berries, a sound made her heart sink. It was a very distinct sound… one you  _ never _ want to hear when you’re standing on something old… a very, very,  _ very _ loud “CRACK”. She very slowly looked to her feet and the floor was indeed very heavily damaged. Taking it very slow, she tried to step back, but the floor only cracked even more. Her heart felt like exploding as she made a run for it, the floor collapsing behind her. With a desperate leap of faith she managed to grab the edge of safety as the floor fell from under her. She let out a sigh of relief, but it seemed too soon as a shadow loomed over her. Looking up she saw a girl her age with eight eyes and three horns dressed in a black shroud wielding a rapier-like sword upon her back.

“Pull me up…?” Serenity asked, hoping they were friendly.

“You rejected mother’s love, after she went to the trouble of saving you. Mother does not need bad children like you.” she hissed before stepping on Serenity’s fingers, causing her to fall into the abyss below.

When Serenity opened her eyes she was suspended just above the ground by countless vines. By a whim of the gods, she’d been saved from a horrible fate. She cut herself loose and took a look around her finding the depths of the ruin were in possibly worse shape than the floors above. The face of that girl came back to her though. Her eyes were a different black from what she was used to. They almost seemed like they weren’t actually looking at her, or possibly not even there to begin with. 

“I need to find a way back up.” she nodded to herself, putting the thoughts aside for now.

Serenity began to explore the lower floors and found that the creatures down here were all docile. She could even pet ones that just floors above would have tried to eat her on sight. What was going on? The puddles of water she came across were sparklingly clear as well. Did this ruin conceal a secret?

After breaking her way through a weak wall into another clearing, she found a chamber with an outstanding number of flowers growing in a massive field. There was only a small crack shedding a spotlight down on them. In the middle of the field was what seemed to be an eternal statue of a very large butterfly woman clad in grey armor wielding a divine-looking sword. Serenity nervously approached it, fearing disturbing the field. The sword, at the least, appeared to be real… until she touched the statue’s cheek. It was soft like flesh despite being ice cold. Her hand left a print showing the statue was merely covered in layers of dust. Serenity was stuck staring in wonder… until it began moving. Serenity leapt back as the statue now revealed person began to stand dropping the dust off of her body. Once the woman was at her feet a long cape fell from her back as her wings began to emit a glowing light.

“Please be friendly, please be friendly, please be friendly…” Serenity whimpered, readying her sword for the worst.

“ **_Child of Hollownest… I beg of thee… bring an end to my suffering, before once more I am forced to kill those I love…_ ** ” a voice echoed in Serenity’s head.

“You’re suffering?” Serenity gasped.

“ **_My body is not my own… and serves the command of The Descended Ones pulling the strings… so please… end me, so I may be with my loved ones above…_ ** ” the voice pleaded.

Serenity flinched when the woman suddenly lunged engaging her in combat. Despite her size she was fast, but not so much that Serenity couldn’t keep up. She had to be doubly careful as the woman’s blade seemed to unleash disks of light with each swing that reached across the room. Any wounds Serenity managed to make did not bleed, but they did not heal either. Her armor didn’t stop Serenity’s blade either, allowing her to freely strike the woman’s torso without fear of bouncing off. She felt genuinely bad for this woman, even if she didn’t know her name.

Serenity was hurting badly from the continued battle, but she had to honor this woman’s last wish. She’d seen her mother honor a guilty soldier’s wish to die by her hand in combat before, to atone for betraying the crown. If death would bring this woman peace, then she would bring it to her. Despite her injuries, Serenity managed to deal a crippling blow to the woman’s knee making her kneel. She then took the chance to sever the hand of the woman’s sword arm disarming her and dealy a fierce strike to her chest. The woman’s entire body began to glow as Serenity ran her through.

“I pray you find peace in the land beyond.” Serenity told her, repeating the words her mother spoke after completing the soldier’s wish.

“ **_Thank... you… now I can... finally… rest…_ ** ” the voice echoed in her head as the woman shed a single tear, falling backwards afterward.

Serenity reclaimed her sword from her body and witnessed something unexpected. Her body became pure white and then dissolved into light that gently floated up toward the heavens. A small bit of the light entered Serenity, and she began to cry as a strikingly familiar warmth filled her. This was the warmth of a mother’s embrace, spending precious moments with those dear to you, being content with the loved ones around you, and the joy such memories bring. The woman had shared just a tiny amount of her memory with her while passing on. It gave Serenity just a glimpse of the thoughts and emotions that her own mother must have felt having and raising her. 

After calming down a bit, Serenity spotted stairs on the other side of the clearing. Rubbing the tears from her eyes, she began to ascend them. At the top of them was a door that required her to bust open. Once through, she found herself outside once more on the east side of the ruin. She circled back around to familiar territory and there was the girl again.

“You should have died…” she growled, readying her weapon without hesitation.

“You claim the queen saved you? That’s stomping on the feelings your real mother had for you.” Serenity scowled, drawing hers.

“They don’t matter. Only mother’s emotions matter to me.” she growled.

“You won’t be able to beat me then.” Serenity snarled.

The two locked in combat, but Serenity felt absolutely no pain from her injuries as they fought. In fact she was pushing the girl back with ease. It felt like her mother was guiding her blade to strike where it needed to. Serenity eventually knocked the girl’s weapon from her hands and severed one of her horns causing her to scream and flail on the ground holding the broken stub.

“That queen can do whatever she likes to try and win you over. The feelings of your real mother will always be more powerful. That is why you will never beat me.” Serenity huffed, whirling on her feet to begin walking away.

“Kill… I’ll kill you… for mother...  _ DIE!!! _ ” the girl screamed charging Serenity again, only for The Wanderer to leap from the underbrush to deliver a powerful strike splitting the girl’s sword in half while leaving a harsh injury on her torso.

“I left her alive. Hopefully that injury will bring her to her senses when she wakes up.” Wanderer stated.

“Get what you needed?” Serenity asked.

“Naturally. How about you?” he replied.

“Double what I needed.” she smirked, showing her pouch.

“Actually, that’s quadruple. For the recipe you only need fifteen.” Wanderer snickered.

“We’re more than set to go on it then.” Serenity beamed, starting to walk again.

“You’re in a good mood.” he smirked.

“It just finally hit me, that’s all. I’m definitely going home. That way mom can stop worrying.” Serenity beamed.

Once back at base, Serenity was crying for a different reason. Disinfectant really stings like nothing else. She hadn’t even noticed just how many injuries she had that were more than just a cut. Her shroud was in ribbons once again too. The adrenaline had worn off too so the full pain of them was coming for her.  Even the Argil leaf only reduced the amount of pain she was in and that’s supposed to be more powerful than most medical pain relievers on the market today.

“This is wonderful, you two. We only need one last ingredient to complete the medicine that will cure Her Highness.” the doctor giggled.

“I actually feel much better today, so maybe-”

“Not another word, Highness. You may  _ feel _ fine, but you are very far from it. You need that medicine or you are  _ going _ to die. Not may,  _ going _ to.” the doctor scolded Leafwing.

“I suppose it can’t be helped…” Leafwing sighed, a little dejected to have been scolded once more.

“With all due respect, Highness, please rest for the sake of your health. I shall gather the final ingredient myself tonight.” Wanderer told her.

“You only just returned. Shouldn’t you rest?” the smithy pointed out.

“I have a bad feeling about tomorrow. The sooner it’s finished the better. I won’t need dinner tonight.” Wanderer explained, leaving before anyone could question him further.

“There he goes. Any time that man gets a bad feeling he acts on it instead of appreciating that things going smoothly for once.” the doctor sighed.

“I don’t know, dear. He’s prevented a grand list of terrible things from happening thanks to that paranoia of his. He can sense these things.” the smithy shrugged.

Early morning came with screaming to Serenity. She leapt up from the bed, agitating her wounds in the process, and looked around wondering what was happening. Leafwing was flailing with glowing red eyes as the smithy and Wanderer tried to hold her. The doctor was mounted on her trying to get her to drink a red mixture of some kind.

“You need to drink every drop!” the doctor cried.

“She’s deceptively strong!” the smithy stated.

“I warned you that she would be, so put all your strength into it!” Wanderer replied.

Serenity could only watch as they eventually managed to get the mix down Leafwing’s throat. After an excruciating hour of her screaming and flailing, she finally seemed to settle down as her eyes began slowly returning to normal. Leafwing was breathing heavily, her face was flushed, and she was covered in sweat.

“I-I-Is she okay…?” Serenity finally managed to ask.

“It’s a side effect of the medicine. We didn’t have any straps handy so I had the men help me hold her down. With this particular mix you always start with a large dose before administering smaller ones. Luckily, she won’t be quite as berserk with the smaller doses. I’ve got The Wanderer out getting straps from the traders now.” the doctor explained.

“What was the last ingredient, by the way?” Serenity asked her.

“The venom gland from an Empress Nailback. It’s understandable why he wouldn’t take you with him to fight one.” the doctor replied, checking on Serenity’s injuries.

“Is she gonna be okay…?” Serenity asked, wincing as the doctor applied treatment to her wounds.

“If we keep treating her, then yes. It won’t be today, but she’ll begin recovering as she keeps taking the medicine.” she answered.

“Sorry if I scared you, Serenity…” Leafwing chuckled weakly.

At that moment The Wanderer hurried into the house, looking to make sure he wasn’t followed. He had a serious look on his face. 

“We need to leave, now. The Royal Knights are coming and they’re being led by one of the queen’s ‘daughters’.” Wanderer ordered.

“Good thing you warned us ahead of time that something bad might happen.” the smithy smiled.

“I hate it when you’re right…” the doctor sighed, pulling a bag from the closet revealing many medicines and supplies packed up.

“We’re leaving?” Serenity questioned.

“Make sure Her Highness is safe. I’ll catch up with you later.” Wanderer nodded, drawing his sword.

“Wait, you aren’t going with us?!” she gasped in horror.

“Someone needs to buy you as much time to get away as possible. The Royal Knights aren’t the ‘talk it out’ type of people and will kill whoever halts their investigation.” Wanderer told her.

“You’d better not die before I get the chance to scold you for bringing them to our doorstep.” the doctor huffed.

“Before you go, put this on. Could save your life.” the smithy spoke, tossing a breastplate to Wanderer.

“Thanks.” he nodded, doing just that.

“Wanderer, no…” Serenity whined.

“Serenity, remember what you learned about independence. You don’t need me to survive out there. You have everything you need. If it makes you feel better, I’ll promise to make it back.” he sighed, gently patting her head.

“For luck.” Leafwing spoke before kissing Wanderer’s cheek.

“I won’t need luck for the fighting, so I’ll reserve it for when I make my getaway.” he smirked before heading out the door.

Serenity and the group hurried out of town as fast as they could after that. The smithy lifted Leafwing onto his back so they could save as much time as possible. She couldn’t help looking back when she heard war cries and combat in the distance. Shedding a tear, she hurried to lead the group onward. They didn’t stop for a long time, taking as many roundabout paths as they could. Serenity had no idea where she was going, but it had to be safer than Noosha. It was the dead of night when at last they made camp.

“Get some sleep, Little Princess. I’ve got night vision so I can see ‘em coming a mile away.” the smithy ordered.

“If you’re sure…” Serenity nodded, trying to avoid showing how worn out she was.

Serenity’s dreams were filled with screams and flames. She opened her eyes seeing the campfire was almost out making vision poor. A large shadow began walking toward the camp though, making the smithy and doctor stand.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, you used  _ that _ ? That was too far…” the smithy gasped.

“It’s fine… I got away, didn’t I…?” Wanderer’s voice, albeit slightly warped, spoke as a vague skull-like shape was just barely illuminated in the poor light.

“Idiot, what if you can’t change back this time?” the doctor scolded him, trying to be quiet.

“I’ll be fine…” he groaned as the shadow began to crack and change shape.

“If you aren’t careful eventually you really won’t be able to…” the smithy warned him.

“I’ll take it under advisement…” he groaned.

Serenity couldn’t fight how tired she was, and quickly fell back asleep. When at last morning came she sprang up, eager to see Wanderer. To her surprise, he wasn’t there. Did she imagine him returning to camp? Sadly she lacked the time to dwell on it as they had to keep moving. It was noon by the time the group reached the town of Kelvis. According to the doctor the town is in the southeastern part of the kingdom. They’d apparently skipped a good number of towns they could hide in. Thankfully no wanted posters had come through so they were in the clear with the town guard. This allowed them to rest and eat some good food at the inn.

“Leafwing… Wanderer can’t transform into a beast can he…?” Serenity asked her.

“What? Heavens, no. His predecessor, on the other hand…  _ she _ could transform into a beast. She eventually began became old, and started to rely on the power until she could no longer change back. She eventually lost any traces of who she once was and had to be driven off. No one knows what became of her after that.” Leafwing explained.

“ _ So… was it one of those dream omens…? It felt like it was real though… _ ”

“I see we both had the same idea for a place to rendezvous.” a familiar voice spoke, bringing light to Serenity and Leafwing’s faces.

Both turned and there was The Wanderer, covered in injuries but alive nevertheless. His weapon had all kinds of knicks and cracks in both edges too, meaning he’d been fighting somewhat recklessly. They couldn’t help getting up to hug him, making him wince in pain.

“Both of you, you’ll get my blood on you…” he groaned.

“You’re alive and that’s what matters.” Leafwing stated.

“Got away did ya?” the smithy chuckled.

“After leading them the opposite direction to throw them off. It shows that Her Majesty doesn’t train her knights very well compared to her father. My group had to learn the country inside and out to defend it with everything we can find.” Wanderer chuckled.

“Shut up and go up to a room so I can treat you. Dear, pay for the room and apologize for the mess.” the doctor ordered.

“Right away.” the smithy nodded, hurrying from the table.


	5. Premonition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serenity encounters an odd woman. Later she gets an ominous warning.

Wanderer almost looked like a mummy with how much the doctor had to patch him up. Sadly, his sword was irreparable even if they had a forge and thus needed to be replaced. Through the smithy’s connections through the Smith’s Creed he was able to secure a replacement weapon. The handle was wrapped in red grip cloth suitable for a knight’s arm, the red guard connected to the pommel protecting the wielder’s hand in combat, and the flat part of the blade was pitch black while the edge was pure white. Wanderer broke the town smith’s heart by having him shorten the blade to the same length his old sword was, to retain a similar weight and feel when swinging. That made Serenity curious.

“Why do you shorten your swords?” Serenity asked him.

“After breaking my sword once I realized that the current size of the knight swords are longer than they need to be. They would be able to more efficiently ready another strike if they were shorter. Of course, too short and they lose effectiveness. This middle ground grants me some range while raising combat efficiency. The changed weight makes one more mobile as well. Unlike Nails, which are custom forged, most Swords are made with the knights in mind thusly trying to mimic their length and weight.” Wanderer explained in detail to her.

“Is that why my sword is shorter than yours? It’s because I’m smaller than you are so I have maximum efficiency?” she asked.

“You catch on quick.” he smiled, gently patting her head.

“You’re just as reckless as you were when you were in service. Don’t go giving Little Princess any bad habits, you hear me?” the doctor sighed.

“You may claim to have abandoned your honor, but your actions as of late are completely in line with the Knight’s Code.” the smithy snickered.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Wanderer huffed.

“I’m fine with you denying being the knight I knew, but please do not discredit the courage you’ve shown.” Leafwing smiled, though her eyes gave off a hint of sadness.

“Well, now that we’re regrouped, where to?” the doctor asked.

“Hollownest. From there we will head to Ghastford. Monarch would risk starting a war if she attempted reaching us there.” Wanderer answered.

“True, Ghastford does have the military might to match Phantomgloom… and tensions are greatly agitated between our kingdoms as it is thanks to her warmongering.” the smithy nodded, thinking about it.

“If a war started then Hollownest would become the battlefield. It is directly between the two kingdoms and currently can’t defend itself from invasion.” Leafwing brought up.

“It’s true… mother never made it known that Hollownest had recovered from The Infection so that Hollownest could pick itself up in secret. To other kingdoms it’d look like the perfect battlefield.” Serenity groaned.

“Hollownest could ally with Ghastford and avoid bloodshed then. The king is very caring and understands what it is like to pick up the fragments of a healing kingdom.” Wanderer suggested.

The next morning Wanderer’s injuries caught up with him, forcing him to remain in bed. The doctor knew she should have confined him to a bed, as some of his major injuries were agitated by moving around yesterday. The pain he felt was immense, despite him trying to appear fine. 

“I’ll go look for Argril.” Serenity piped up.

“Be careful, Little Princess. We’re still on the run. First sign of trouble, come straight back. With Wanderer wounded we have to rely on you to protect us.” the smithy told her.

“Got it.” she nodded.

Serenity then made her way to the medical clinic in town, but they sadly didn’t carry the herb. That meant going out into the wilderness for it. Thanks to the map the smithy lent her, she knew the place she’d come to was called  _ Rafflesia Heights _ . The place got its name from a ruin left by the Great Ones bearing a sign of the same name. Even before she had gotten there she could see the colossal ruin. Just as with the forest near Hollownest, she thought that the Great Ones must have been enormous. 

“Focus, Serenity, focus. You’re here for Argril.” she shook her head, snapping out of her trance.

She looked around the mossy area, but just couldn’t seem to find Argril. She did stumble upon the explosive plant, Blamvia, and used what Wanderer taught her cut the bulbs off without removing the stamen to use them for a quick escape if need be. With not many other spots to look for, she entered the ruin. Unlike the previous one she’d been in, this one was in much better condition. It was still a complete mess, but at least it wasn’t falling apart. There just had to be some in here, right?

Moving downward in the ruin she had to fight strange creatures she’d never seen before. Unlike those she’d fought before, these were more aggressive than normal. At the bottom of the stairs she saw a strange glowing red spirit in the shape of a wasp woman, but she had odd horns on her head uncharacteristic of her species. Serenity nervously approached and she slowly turned around.

“You… are royalty…?” she asked in a low voice.

“Um… yes. I am Princess Serenity of Hollownest.” Serenity nodded.

“You can bring an end to my pitiful existence. Only until sundown can I retain this form… but before long I will be forced to become a monster once more.” she told her.

“Are… are you the previous Captain of the Guard?” Serenity asked her.

“Was I…? I can no longer recall… it takes all I have to retain this form during the day… but once the beast is slain I can at last find peace.” she replied.

“How do I slay the beast?” Serenity asked her.

“The heart… is the only way to kill the beast…” she replied, fading into darkness afterward.

Left behind in her place was a large amount of Argril plants. Serenity gathered them quickly and hurried back to town. She pretended that things were fine, but in the back of her mind she thought about who she just met. Sundown began to arrive and Serenity snuck out heading to the side of town Rafflesia Heights is found at. Darkness began to blanket the land as Serenity made her way just outside town to avoid damaging the buildings. The minute the last bit of light left the world, a bright red light illuminated the field she stood in. From that light a beast that appeared to be a mix of a devil, a human skeleton, a tiger, a wasp, and a lion dressed in ragged cloth came forth. There were black thorns all over its body and what seemed to be very shiny blood dripping from its exposed bone pieces. Serenity was rightfully frightened of the great beast before her, but drew her sword nevertheless.

“ _ I’ll help you find peace. I promise. _ ” she steeled herself.

She charged and began to fight the beast, finding very quickly that it’s very existence was unstable as it jittered, twitched, and vanished for a few seconds every now and again. Its attacks were fast and splashed more of the blood around that withered the grass and plants that it touched. Her attacks only seemed to make more orifices for the ooze to seep out from. Whenever it would land a hit Serenity felt it as the shockwave fired through her entire body knocking her sliding back. Despite the disadvantage, Serenity continued to charge back in.

The beast swung its arm again and Serenity swung using both hands like Wanderer showed him severing two of its fingers causing the beast to unleash a ear-ringing blood-curdling howl of agony. Serenity then took the chance to sever some of its toes making it howl more, falling to one knee unable to be on that leg anymore. The more ooze that spread the more the smell of decay began to fill the air. Serenity was trying hard not to lose her stomach as her battle continued.

“ _ The heart… I have to strike the heart to kill it... _ ” she thought to herself as she reached into her pouch.

She then pulled a Blamvia bulb from her pouch and pulled the stamen out making the leaves begin curling inward trembling. Serenity then lobbed it at the beast where it stuck to its chest before exploding prompting a yell of agony. Blood was falling rapidly from its exposed ribcage that had a vigorously pounding red organ protected behind it. Serenity threw another and it blocked the attack with its arm causing the bones to be cracked severely with another howl of pain. It tried to support itself on that arm causing the bones to shatter face planting onto the ground. Serenity’s footsteps were wet and mushy due to the now overflowing level of blood on the ground alerting it to her going around so it could kick her.

Serenity’s entire body stung as she pushed herself up. This blood wasn’t only killing the grass, but actively sapping her strength too. She needed to end this soon or she was a goner. Using more Blamvia buds she made more injuries to limit the beast’s movements as it roared trying to strike her again. The crimson light around it seemed to be getting brighter as well, like an aura of flame.

“ _ I need to expose its weakness… _ ”

Serenity readied to throw another one when the arm she’d broken off earlier lunged grabbing onto her. Agony made Serenity scream as the Bomvia bud went off destroying its fingers as it sent her sliding across the muck, a very bad wound in her side. The beast began charging her with what limbs she had left and she used her sword to keep its jaws from biting her. Staring down it’s esophagus she saw an opportunity… a straight shot to the heart, which up close was actually a sack of some kind just begging to be slashed apart.

“Little Princess!” she heard the smithy’s voice scream in horror, but she knew what risk she needed to take.

She flung herself forward down its gullet entering the heart through the top. Once inside she didn’t find a pool of blood or valves… but the decaying body of the wasp woman she’d met earlier. Her arms and feet were bound to the inside of the heart, fused due to the transformation. Serenity gulped, took a deep breath, and ran her through making her scream in unison with the beast. The beast then began to flail violently, screaming all the while. It fell onto its back, clawing savagely at its ribcage starting to pull it apart, as Serenity continued to slash and stab the woman’s body making her scream through the blood spewing from her mouth all over her. The beast then tore the final rib from its cage to tear out its own heart, severing it from its body. With one last raspy gasp, its arm fell to the ground making the heart roll toward where the smithy and doctor were watching in complete and utter shock. The red glow then faded completely, leaving only the torch light they were using.

“Little Princess…?” the doctor spoke, starting to cry.

“Don’t count her out yet.” the smithy ordered, noticing the heart begin to undulate.

Serenity’s blade then cut through the flesh and the now completely soaked princess pulled herself out, pulling the woman’s corpse with her. Serenity then raised her sword to the sky unsteadily, and let out a scream. It wasn’t a war scream, nor a victory scream… but a scream of sorrow, crying. Once more the being she’d killed had shared their memories with her, and she saw first-hand through her why she had to become the beast. She also knew why only royalty could end her life now. She then fell to her knees, stabbing her sword into the ground.

“ **_Princess Serenity… thank you. Please, grant this selfish knight one last wish…? Tell that idiot… that Phantomgloom is lost without its true Captain of the Guard..._ ** ”

“I will… I’ll tell him… word for word…” Serenity whispered before falling to the left losing consciousness.

Serenity had a strange dream as she slept. She was in a golden palace, where thirteen colossal knights sat atop pure white thrones. Above them were an equally colossal moth man and woman, both bearing white skin and golden robes. The place felt serene, yet held an air of sadness in it.

“Descendant of the Void. We are meant to slumber, yet one has chosen to seize our power. You must stop her, or we shall be forced to release  _ The Thirteen Radiant Knights _ to cleanse the world of life.” the female of the pair spoke in a booming voice.

“Who are you?!” Serenity called to them.

“You were born from the Void, but Radiance shall guide you to victory.” both the man and woman spoke as a thick fog began to envelop everything.

Serenity then awoke to find herself bound to a bed. Every inch of herself was covered in bandages. She had a wet cloth on her forehead as well. The doctor was wringing out a second cloth by her bedside.

“Foolish girl. Why did you have to do that by yourself?” the doctor scolded, swapping the cloth on Serenity for the fresh one.

“Only royalty… could do it…” Serenity answered before coughing a little.

“Now we have three patients and no one to fight…” the smithy sighed.

“I’m fit enough to fight. More so than the kid anyway.” Wanderer piped up, standing from his bed.

“Focus on healing. You’re liable to get an infection if your wounds open again.” the doctor scolded him.

“How long… was I out…?” Serenity asked her.

“Four days. We were afraid you wouldn’t wake up.” the doctor answered, checking her temperature.

“Silver lining, Her Highness is well enough that she only needs to take small doses of the medicine now. Her illness should be gone in as little as a week.” the smithy laughed heartily.

“My eyes will not be well for several months more, sadly…” Leafwing sighed, gently touching the bandaged side of her face.

“We can thank the infection they got for that. I’d pop the queen several dozen for doing this to you if I had the chance.” the doctor huffed.

“How long until I get better…?” Serenity asked, fighting the sleepiness she felt.

“Several weeks. Your injuries were quite severe. That’s what happens when you fight something many times your size alone without help.” the doctor answered passive-aggressively.

“Do not fault her. I’d have done the same if I could have helped the beast.” Wanderer defended her.

“That’s the problem!” she roared, chucking an empty can bouncing it off his head.

“Easy dear, easy. He’s injured, remember?” the smithy laughed, comfortingly rubbing her back.

Serenity smiled happily as sleep took her over again. This time she dreamt of her reunion with her mother. She told her everything about the journey so far. By far it was the happiest dream she’d had since coming to Phantomgloom.


End file.
